Breast-yoke.



B. M. DODD.

BREAST YOKE.

APPLICATION FILED nac. I3, 1915.

1 1 79,6 1 5 Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

citizen of the United States,

ROBERT M. DODD, 0F OLIVER SPRINGS, TENNESSEE.

BBEAST-YOKE.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, ROBERT M. Dom), a residing at Oliver Springs, in thecounty of 'Roane and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breast- Yokes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in yoke attachments for double teams, the primary object of the invention being to provide an improved breast yoke which is positioned immediately behind and attached to the yoke atthe end of the tongue, and which is adapted to take up the jolts caused by movement of the team, and at the same time allow some lateral movement of the horses so that the animals will not be apt to be injured by theconstant strain and jar on their necks during hauling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and one which will be very efficient in operation.

With these and numerousother objects in view, my invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, be referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my attachment applied to use; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the bearing member showing the rod in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In describing my invention I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and in which the numeral 1 indicates the wagon tongue of a vehicle at the outer end of which is attached the ordinary type of yoke 2. This yoke 2 is of any desired type that is used in a device of this character, being either rigid as shown in the accompanying drawings or it may be composed of the ordinary chain members which are often used in place of the shown structure. The yoke 2 is provided at its opposite outer ends with rings 3 to which my improved yoke attachment is adapted to be se- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 13, 1915.

which will hereinafter Patented. Apr. 18, 1916! Serial No. 66,518.

cured. This attachment which is applied to the rings 3 on either end of the yoke, is formed separate for each of the horses and owing to the fact that both are substantially alike in details of construction, for the sake of brevity, I will specifically describe only one of these attachments.

The breast yoke or attachment comprises a rod 4 which has a straight portion 5 and bent ends 6. The extremities of these bent ends 6 have secured thereto chains 7 which have at their free ends-fastening members 8. These fastening members 8 are composed of loop shaped wire rods, the loops engaging the free ends of the chain and the ends of said loop projecting oppositely from each other to form prongs, which form the fasten-v ing means of the same. These fastening members 8 are adapted to pass through the hame rings on the horse collar, to suspend the rod from said collar and is attached to the end of the yoke in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Positioned on the straight portion of the rod 4 is a bearing member or cylinder 9 which has a central bore 10 extending longitudinally therethrough, said bore having annular recesses or races 11 at its opposite ends. Thecylinder 9 is also provided with a plurality of apertures 12 extending longitudinally adjacent its periphery- The apertures 12 are internally threaded adjacent their opposite ends for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. Projecting from the outer Wall of the cylinder 9 at a point intermediate the ends of the same is a hook 13 which is adapted to engage the rings 3 at the end of the yoke 2. By this means, through the medium of the hook 13, the bearing member 9, the rod 4, the chains 7 and the fastening members 8, a connection is formed between the yoke and the collar such as is necessary in a device of this character.

Disposed in the races 11 at either end of the central bore 10, are ball bearings 14, which are for the purpose of enabling the rod 4 to move or rotate freely with respect to the cylinder 9 in which it is mounted. These bearings 14 are held in position by means of plates 15 which are correspondingly shaped to the ends of the cylinder, being apertured as shown at 16 to aline with the apertures 12 in the same and having a central aperture 17 so that the same are adapted to receive the straight portionv 5 of the rod 4. These plates 15 have their inner surfaces formed with an annular groove 18 so that when they are brought in close proximity and adjacent the ends of the cylinder, the balls of the races 11 will fit into the grooves 18 so that the said balls may move freely between the two parts. These plates 15 are held in position'through the medium of screws 19 that are adapted to project through the alining apertures in the plates and cylinder and to securely and firmly hold the plates on the ends of the same. The straight portion 5 of the rod 4 has stops 20 formed in its opposite ends so that the cylinder 9 through which it is adapted to move longitudinally, will limit its movement by engagement with the said stops.

When the breast yoke attachment above described is applied between the ends of the yoke and the collars in the manner well known to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, it will be obvious that owing to the fact that the rod 4 is rotatably and, slidably mounted in the cylinder 9, there will be a certain amount of play between the yoke and' collar that will accomplish the purposes of this device. The free rotation of the rod will take a certain amount of jogging which is caused by the movement of the team, from the collar so that there will be no danger of injury to the horses necks, and owing to the fact that the rod 4-is slidable laterally with respect to the wagon tongue, the horses may move to one side to walk around small obstructions or gullies-in the road, Attention is particularly directed tothe extreme simplicity in construction of this device, and the easy and slmple means of placing the same in position. When it is desired to use this attachment, it is only necessary to engage the hook 13 with the loop 3 on the end of the yoke,

rings on the collars, and the device is in operative position. 1 g s From the foregoing description, of the construction of my improved breast yoke attachment, the manner, of applying the same to use and the operation thereof, will be readily understood a'nd'it will be seen that I have provided a simple,inexpensive and eflicient means for carryingout the objects of this invention;

I claim as my invention: I

A device ofithe' class described comprising a bearing member having a longitudinal opening therethrough, means for connecting said member with a' neck yoke, said bearing member having recesses in the ends of the same surrounding said opening, ball bearings positioned in said recesses, plates securedto the ends of the member to hold the ball bearings in position, a rod having, angular arms with its straight portion projectmg through said said rod having stops on the straight por-- tion of the same adjacent the'aIIfiS chains on the extremities of said arms,and fastening means for connecting the free ends of said chains with the harne rings-on a collar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set and to position the fasteningmembers 8 into engagement with the hame opening in the member,

my hand in presence. of two subscribing witnesses. g

ROBERT M. DODD.

Witnesses:

ROBERT BVCASSELL, DAISY STEVENS.

copier or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washingto11, D. G. 

